How often and why shall we pray the rosary?

[Lost_Wanderer]

Very curious thanks for your answers god bless

There’s no binding rule regarding the Rosary in this manner. As one of your earlier posters has said, it’s not even a requirement. You can pray it twice, thrice, five times a day for a number of religious reasons (Fatima, personal meditation, spirituality) or you can choose to not pray it all for equally valid reasons (like me, busy man that I am).

 

[bcprincess]

There’s no binding rule regarding the Rosary in this manner. As one of your earlier posters has said, it’s not even a requirement. You can pray it twice, thrice, five times a day for a number of religious reasons (Fatima, personal meditation, spirituality) or you can choose to not pray it all for equally valid reasons (like me, busy man that I am).

Yes indeed you are right and we are all busy in our own way, but we all find time to do what is important to us.

We all need to make time to do something which brings us into God’s presence and for many that is the rosary although it does not have to be that, a wonderful thing about the Catholic Faith is that there are devotions to suit all as well as bible study, theology, meditation, but we really do have to make that special time.

I recently went for a meal at my priest’s house and we were in the sitting room having a pre-meal drinkie. There were about 8-10 people in the room and talk turned to different soap opera’s they watched, I found I could not really join in the conversation because I dont watch them (but I do have my own ways to waste time ).

A few minutes later the topic changed to how busy everyone was and how it made it so difficult for them to find time to have regular times of prayer and scripture.

They were quite shocked when I told them how many hours each ot them where spending on watching the soap operas as evidenced by what they had just been discusing.

I was not trying to be judgemental, but as I said already we can all make time for what is important to us, whether that is time with God, soap operas, crafts, eating out, sports, or making over 9000 posts on this forum

 

[TrueLight]

I was not trying to be judgemental, but as I said already we can all make time for what is important to us, whether that is time with God, soap operas, crafts, eating out, sports, or making over 9000 posts on this forum

Right. And I’m going to confess that sometimes I spend too much time reading Catholic blogs or hanging out on Catholic forums.

I have to remind myself that doesn’t replace time spent with the Lord.

 

[newyorkcatholic]

So you aren’t answering? Okay. It would have been fine to simply say that.

He doesn’t want to answer, I guess that’s his business.

But I’ll mention, since I think your question is a good one, that I could never spend 4 hours on the rosary daily given my obligations (work and family).

The duties of our state in life come first. If someone can spend hours in prayer, that’s great. But if we have to be content with daily rosary (5 decades) and other essential prayers, that’s alright. To neglect helping your family in order to pray is probably sinful.

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

They were quite shocked when I told them how many hours each ot them where spending on watching the soap operas as evidenced by what they had just been discusing.

I was not trying to be judgemental, but as I said already we can all make time for what is important to us, whether that is time with God, soap operas, crafts, eating out, sports, or making over 9000 posts on this forum

Being busy can validly include leisure for leisure keeps us sane. Good for you if you think talking to someone other people can’t see/hear somehow puts your mind at ease.

For me, I think I’ll just stick to goofing around with tabletop/computer fantasy games or writing my fanfiction. Religious activities are supposed to be in a different category from leisure. Closer to work actually. However, an imbalance in favor of any one will indeed be a cause for sin. Be it overworking, laziness, and yes praying too much.

 

[figs]

and yes praying too much.

There is no such thing.

 

[Padraig1972]

He doesn’t want to answer, I guess that’s his business.

But I’ll mention, since I think your question is a good one, that I could never spend 4 hours on the rosary daily given my obligations (work and family).

The duties of our state in life come first. If someone can spend hours in prayer, that’s great. But if we have to be content with daily rosary (5 decades) and other essential prayers, that’s alright. To neglect helping your family in order to pray is probably sinful.

Hold on. I never said anything about neglecting family duties, church duties or society duties. And yes, that would be sinful. Some of the time i can and a 15 decade rosary do not normally take 4 hours. More like 3-3 1/2 hours. Often i split it up by praying a five decade three times a day. Oh well…enough info.

As much other things in life, some days are busier than others. But it is the heart and the will to try that really matters.

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

There is no such thing.

Uh, yes there is. You won’t catch me sitting in my room reciting decades or novenas when I have bills to pay and ideas to write out. I doubt the Lord likes being used as an excuse to skip work or drive yourself crazy. People killed in the Church’s name during the crusades. What makes killing yourself (and others) mentally for the same reason any different?

A yearly Stations of the Cross during Easter is good enough for me.

 

[figs]

A yearly Stations of the Cross during Easter is good enough for me.

Good for you

I need to be close to God a lot more often then that, and frankly wouldn’t want it any other way.

 

[TrueLight]

A yearly Stations of the Cross during Easter is good enough for me.

 

[TrueLight]

Let’s not try to make Padraig feel bad because he has made the Rosary a priority in his life. It doesn’t mean he is neglecting his state of life. 3-4 hours may seem crazy to some of us, us, but there are ways to do it. If it brings him closer to God, then that is good for his family too.

For one thing, one can wake up an hour early and say the Rosary, one can say it during one’s lunch hour. One can say a decade while walking or driving. I know a woman who walks everywhere she goes and she says a decade during her walk. Some people drive a lot and say a decade while driving.

So that’s three hours right there.

Throw in a family rosary after dinner and that’s 4 hours.

So it is possible.

Although I think it’s important for folks to be reminded that neglecting one’s state of life is sinful, it is not fair to automatically insinuate that is what’s happening.

 

[figs]

Let’s not try to make Padraig feel bad because he has made the Rosary a priority in his life. It doesn’t mean he is neglecting his state of life. 3-4 hours may seem crazy to some of us, us, but there are ways to do it. If it brings him closer to God, then that is good for his family too.

For one thing, one can wake up an hour early and say the Rosary, one can say it during one’s lunch hour. One can say a decade while walking or driving. I know a woman who walks everywhere she goes and she says a decade during her walk. Some people drive a lot and say a decade while driving.

So that’s three hours right there.

Throw in a family rosary after dinner and that’s 4 hours.

So it is possible.

Although I think it’s important for folks to be reminded that neglecting one’s state of life is sinful, it is not fair to automatically insinuate that is what’s happening.

well said!

 

[newyorkcatholic]

Hold on. I never said anything about neglecting family duties, church duties or society duties. And yes, that would be sinful. Some of the time i can and a 15 decade rosary do not normally take 4 hours. More like 3-3 1/2 hours. Often i split it up by praying a five decade three times a day. Oh well…enough info.

As much other things in life, some days are busier than others. But it is the heart and the will to try that really matters.

Dear Padraig, I’m sorry! I never meant to say you were in favor of neglecting duties.

I was just trying to help the other poster by mentioning that yes, duties of state in life do come first, so we should put a priority on praying but not to the exclusion of other things. So don’t feel bad if you can’t do certain prayers that otherwise would be ideal.

Really no comment on your personal choices!

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

For one thing, one can wake up an hour early and say the Rosary, one can say it during one’s lunch hour. One can say a decade while walking or driving. I know a woman who walks everywhere she goes and she says a decade during her walk. Some people drive a lot and say a decade while driving.

You forgot the option of not saying it at all and trying to find something else to compensate.

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

Good for you

I need to be close to God a lot more often then that, and frankly wouldn’t want it any other way.

Whatever your needs are, it’s not really my concern. My concern is the fact that people think you can’t pray too much.

There are many cases when you can. Living in a country that’s had three centuries of religious yet tyrannical Spanish rule can tell you how much ‘prayer’ itself is easily distorted.

 

[Evan]

Our spiritual director one time told us of how the angel of light (Lucifer - the greatest of God’s angels before the fall) can take good and distort it. Turning it into something that can lead you away from God.

His example: You set aside time in the morning for prayer. You find you are able to contemplate the glory of God easily for 10 minutes. So the angle of light speaks to you: “you truly love God so should you not pray for 60 minutes instead. It would be SIX times better”. When you find yourself distracted after 15 minutes, 20 minutes, 22 minutes, 25 26 … You soon despair and decide that meditating on God is not for you. You may then decide to give up prayer altogether.

Lucifer has won another soul for the dark side.

Yes, you can pray too much.

The truth is, you may be able to pray for 60 minutes, but you should have a spiritual director, and would need to build up slowly over a period of time. Checking to see if the increased time is adding or detracting from your relationship with God.

 

[figs]

Whatever your needs are, it’s not really my concern. My concern is the fact that people think you can’t pray too much.

There are many cases when you can. Living in a country that’s had three centuries of religious yet tyrannical Spanish rule can tell you how much ‘prayer’ itself is easily distorted.

this is YOUR opinion only,
… please, don’t confuse it with a fact.

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

this is YOUR opinion only,
… please, don’t confuse it with a fact.

Uh, no. It’s historical fact. Spanish friars in the old days often deluded Philippine wives by using prayer as a distraction from education and religious obligations as a means to keep the men from educating themselves beyond what would help them till their fields.

 

[figs]

Uh, no. It’s historical fact. Spanish friars in the old days often deluded Philippine wives by using prayer as a distraction from education and religious obligations as a means to keep the men from educating themselves beyond what would help them till their fields.

Then by all means, please site a source where I can learn how much one should pray and how much too much prayer is.

 

[Lost_Wanderer]

Then by all means, please site a source where I can learn how much one should pray and how much too much prayer is.

You can start with a The History of the Filipino People by Teodoro Agoncillo.
For a more literary take, you can also check how the religious culture of the times in all its glory and tyranny is reflected in the works of Jose Rizal (Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo). Another example would be the piece of religious, anti-education propaganda titled Si Tandang Basio Macunat.